Dark Chocolate Holiday Bark – Sea Salt, Toasted Coconut, & Almond

Keeping with the theme of the week, I’m made more holiday food gifts! Today, (another snow day by the way) I made 3 kinds of dark chocolate bark; sea salt, toasted coconut, and almond. All equally delicious, and all will earn you a spot in the food gift hall of fame.

Shh! Don’t tell anyone, but this sweet treat could not be easier. It’s truly a clean recipe with just a few ingredients, most of them you’ll already have in your kitchen. I had saved the toasted coconut from another dish I made but if you need to toast your unsweetened coconut, click here to learn how. I bought a bag of slivered almonds from the bulk food area at my grocery store and had the coarse sea salt already in my pantry.

The hardest part about this recipe is waiting for it to cool so you can eat it!

Local Ingredient: So, this is the first time I’ve not been able to find a local ingredient for a recipe for the My Clean Kitchen site. Shopping local can be really hard. I think it’s important to remember to always think local. If you can’t find a locally grown or produced ingredient, you can still shop at a locally owned store. I bought the chocolate for this recipe from a local health food store that sells non-gmo organic products. So, even though it wasn’t made or grown around here I can at least know that I supported a locally owned small business by purchasing my chocolate there.

Create a double boiler by placing a medium to large glass mixing bowl over a pot with 4-5 tablespoons of water in it. (You don't want the water to touch the bowl, even when boiling)

Place the chocolate in the bowl and turn the heat on to medium high. Allow the water to heat until almost to a boil.

Stir the chocolate as the steam melts the chocolate in the mixing bowl. Stir occasionally to help the chocolate melt. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extract. Be sure to stir to combine.

While the chocolate is melting, line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Tip: To get the parchment to stick and not roll up, spray the sheet pan with a little oil before laying the parchment.

Once the chocolate is melted, spread it onto the parchment paper in an even layer about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. The thickness is up to your preference.

Add the bark toppings as desired. I did three strips of topping, 1/3 almonds, 1/3 toasted coconut, and 1/3 sea salt. Tip: Use the sea salt sparingly. 1-2 pieces per bite is ideal, any more and its too salty.

Once the bark is topped, place it in the refrigerator for up to 4 hour or until the chocolate is set.

Using a large chef knife cut the bark into squares. They will break apart naturally and can also be broken with your hands. (Using your hands may be a little messy)

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or ziptop bag until ready to eat. If giving as a gift, be sure to tell them to keep it in the fridge. Although it probably won't last long!